Overhead trolley system



June 22 1926. v 1,589,619

L. W. BIRCH OVERHEAD TROLLEY SYSTEM Filed Jan. 2. 1925 Patented June 22, 192*.

LELAND W. .IBIRCH, OFZMANSEIELILD-HIO,

nests-non no one onio .BnAss com-2mm,

.OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A .CDRAPO'RATION F JERSEY-J OVERHEAD "rRoLLEY SYSTEM.

Application fi1ed-Tanua-ry"2-, 925. Serial c3138. 7

My invention relatesto-overhead systems 'for electric railways end has particular reference to the supporting oi the trolley wire upon curves i rom a messenger wire or catena'ry cable in such a manner that the trolley wire will follow quite closely the curvature of v the track below upon which the electrically operated (car moves. Where the radiusot curvature of the track is large the trolley wire may take a straight line between pole supports, but where the radius of curvature 'is small "the pole spacing must be smaller it the trolley wire between the pole spacing is straight, or i'f the pole spacing is left large then it is desirable to provide some means for causing'the trolley wire to approximate within reason the curvature of the track. ltis my intention toprovi'de such a system and also to provide a system in which the overhead construction may be supported upon .a single bracket projecting from each pole to snake it possible to practically install and adjust the o-verheatl' construction from the top of a eonstri-ict-i'on-car operating on the tracks below.

Other objects will be ap-parerrt-as-the closure of my invention proceeds.

My invention resides "in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts hereinafter more fully de scribed and disclosed in the tire wing 'aecom' panying this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1- is a schematic drawing of my invention showing one "span of construction upon a curve.

2 is a detail drawing showing the relationof --the transverse pull-off wires to the longitudinal pull-o-fi" wire, oi ten called backbone.

F-ig.- "3 shows a detailed construction of the device used for supporting the trolley wire from the caten'ary or messenger eable-anrl the relation of the transverse pull-off wires thereto.

Figs. a l andare modifications of my invention.

In Fig. EL, showing the-embodiment of my invention, I have shown two poles .1, which may be of wood or iron or ofiother -construction suitable lior the supporting of the overhead system, and well known to those skilled in the art, :and lirom each of these poles projects a horizontal arm 2'. Mounted upon each arm is :an adjustable casting 3 maintained 'in adjustedposition by a set screw 4 sand 'to which casting is secured a support :r'od 5 passing through the pole and secured in positionby' a 'nut' 6. Also mounted upon the arm 2 are two slidably adjust-ablesupports 7 and 8 and held in adjusted position by means of the set screws 9 and 10' respectively. Mounted upon the support 7 'is an insulator 1'1 andinounted upon the support Sis an insulator '12. The distance between the insulators along the amn'Q may be varied at will and locked in position by means-of the set screws 9 and '10. Secured to the i-nstilator'll is a longitudinal-l y i il iwosed pull o fi" wire or backbone cable 13, which is made continuous tllFOll-ghOUt the length of the cu-r-ve, or fo'r such distance as-nia-y bemeoessa-ry, and the ends may be anchored to the poles 1 or to the :arm 12 and insulated there n-rem in any of 7 the'ni rmer'ous well known ways.

Mounted-upon the insulator 12 is a catenar-y o rrnessenager cable which is continuous throughout the length o fthe curve and the straight portions otf'the overhead construction as well. When first installed, the messengercable' 14 will assume a straight line between the insulators 12 with respect to a vertical plane, but hang in eaten-wry curve, and likewise the backbone cable 18 will assume the sa1ne=condition between the insulators Atrojlley wire '1 5is supported beneath-the messenger cable 14 by 1neans*o f the hangers 16 and: in order to have the trolley wire assume a substantially horizontal position, it is necessary to vary the length of the hangers 1 6 tor the reason tha tthe messenger cable tends to hang in loops or -caten'ary I curves. The length of the hangers must, therefore, be adjusted, depending upon the sag which the messenger'cabie will take'and the: amount of curvature given the mes senger" cable when pulled :ofi as later :d'e scribed.

Supporting the "trolley wire on a curve merelyfifrom the messenger cable lfl would cause the trolley wire to assume a position to one side-of the vertical passing' throug h the messenger cable 14: tor 'the reason that there will :be a side pull upon the trolley wire, which, inrltih'e 'case o f Fig. 1, isin the v a direction of the arrow and also a downward pull. I find that :a' trolley wire suspendedufrorn a: messenger wire upon a curve merely by the hangers 16 willgive a very good overhead construction providing the hangers 16 are of proper length, but I also find that with this construction it is somewhat difficult to anticipate the proper length of rods, and also the trolley wire does not maintain its installed position due to the sag in the messenger cable changing, which may be due to changes in the length of the messenger cable and the trolley wire on account of temperature changes and other causes.

Therefore, I have devised a system in which the trolley wire and messenger wire may be adjusted and in which a fewer number of different lengths of hangers may be employed. To bring about these results in combination with the messenger cable 1% and trolley wire 15, I employ the backbone cable 13 and connect the same to the messenger wire and the trolley wire, either directly or indirectly, by means of the transverse pulloff wires 17 and 18 respectively. In installing this system, the cables 13 and 14 are installed and the trolley wire positioned and suspended from the cable l tby means of the hangers 16 of predetermined length, and then the transverse pull-off members 17 and 18 are installed, pulling the messenger cable and trolley wire into such a position that the trolley ,wire will assume its predetermined position over the track. I prefer to so position the messenger 1 1 and the trolley wire 15 in its intial installation such that it will be necessary to pull both the trolley wire and the messenger wire back toward the poles or against the direction of side strain upon the trolley wire in order to properly position the trolley wire. This then permits the members 17 or 18 to be adjusted later, should it be found later that the messenger and trolley wire needed adjusting by permiting their movement in the direction of the arrow. It is always possible to adjust the trolley wire in the direction opposite to the arrow should this be necessary. .Also, the distance between the cables 13 and 14 can be adjusted by movement of the supports 7 and 8 upon the bracket arm and the movement of the support 8 will also directly effect the position of the messenger cable 14 and trolley wire 15.

It will be recognized that the system is quite adjustable at many points and also by having the backbone supported upon insulators mounted upon the bracket arm 2, that it can be brought nearer to the end of the arm 2 so that all work upon the backbone 13 can be done from the construction car. The poles are properly stayed by means of the guy wires 19 and 20. the latter extending to an anchor rod in the ground and an insulator 21' interposed to prevent leakage to the ground and to render the guy wire 20 safer.

The pull-ofi wires 17 and 18 are shown as comprising the branches of a single stranded cable looped about the backbone cable 13 and held together adjacent the cable 18 by a standard clip or clamp 22, which may be the well known Crosby clip. The ends of the members 17 and 18 may be secured directly to the trolley wire and messenger cable by suitable means or secured to the hangers 16 as shown and by leaving the wrapped joints 23 sufiiciently long, the members 17 and 18 may be lengthened out when desired for purposes or adjustment.

The hanger 16, as shown, comprises a pair of clamping jaws 24- provided with lips 25 at their lower edge to grip the trolley wire 15. The jaws are held in clamped position by a through-eye-bolt 26 provided with a nut 27 at one end and the pull-off member 18 is secured to the eye bolt 26. Mounted between the jaws 28 is a support rod 29 having an enlarged head 30 seated between the jaws 24L and being provided with threads 31 at the opposite end to which a close yoke cast ing 32 is secured. The yoke casting 32 is provided with means to which the end of the pull-off cable 17 is secured and the end of the rod 29 extends through the ends of the loop casting 32 closing the same and engaging with the messenger cable 1 1 if so desired, thereby locking the hanger in position on the messenger cable.

By permitting the trolley wire to take a position below and to one side of the messsenger cable, it is quite apparent that the greater the lateral displacement may be the more readily will the trolley wire be raised with the passing of acurrent collector and as this lateral displacement increases, the bend in the rod 29 must be increased so as to give the rod a greater degree of inclination from the vertical in order to maintain the clamping jaws in a vertical position which is desirable.

The members 7 may, of course, be attached directly to the members 1, if desired, by properly shaping the members 7, as is well known in the art, but when so placed, in ali probabilities the same cannot be installed from the construction car and there is not as great adjustability then between the members 7 and 8.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification of i Fig. 1 in which the pull-off member 17 only is used and this is connected to the messenger cable at points between the hangers 16. This leaves the trolley wire 15 free to assume its natural position, determined largely by the vertical and horizontal stresses therein and the length of the hanger 16.

In-Fig. 5 is shown another modification of Fig. 1 in which the member 18 has been eliminated without any further changes.

It will be recognized, of course, in connection with the modification shown in Fig. 4 that the member 18 may also be used as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 4 and connected to the trolley wire by a clamp similar to that of the jaws 2% held together by the through-eye-bolt 26 and nut 27 or other well known means. This construction may have some advantage over thatshown in full lines in Fig. 4 as it offers an inter mediate point of pull-oil to the trolley wire between the hangers 16 thereby giving the trolley wire 15 a larger number of pull-oft points, hence :a closer approximation to a true circle. a

The number of hangers between any two supporting poles may be any quantity to sired and, will depend upon the spacing oil the poles and with my system I am able to provide a very flexible overhead construction and one in which the supporting poles 1 and the supporting arms 2 or their equivalents may be spaced a great distance apart and still maintain the trolley wire quite uniformly over the center of the running rails. My system also provides means for easy adjustment of the trolley wire at any time and this can bedone from a construction car almost, it not entirely.

There are, of course, other modifications which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, but I do not wish to be limited other than by my claims.

I claim:

1. In an overhead system, the combination of spaced supports, insulators mounted upon the supports, a messenger cable mounted upon an insulator on each support, a trolley wire supported from the messenger cable by a plurality of hangers between adjacent supports, a backbone cable mounted upon an insulator on each support and pull-oil members extending from the backbone cable to the messenger cable and trolley wire at each hanger to pull the messenger cable and trolley wire into a predetermined relation with the track below so that the curvature of the trolley wire will approximate that of the track.

2. In an overhead system, the combination of spaced supports, an insulator mounted upon eachsupport, a messenger cable mounted upon the insulator on each support, a trolley wire supported from the messenger cable by a plurality of hangers and pulloil means having pull-cit members connected to the messenger cable and the trolley wire to pull the cable and trolley wire into a predetermined relation to the track below to conform the curvature of the cable and Wire tothat of the track.

3. In an overhead system, the combination of spaced supports, a pair of insulators mounted upon each support in spaced and adjustable relation, a messenger cable mounted on one of the insulators on each support, a pull-oil cable mounted on the other insulator, pull-ofi means extending between the pull-oft cable and the messenger cable to pull the messenger cable'into curved alinement with. the track below, a. trolley c wire suspended from the 'messenger cable and pull-off means extending between the puililb'il cable and the trolley wire :to pull the :trolley Wire into curved alinement with the insulators on each support, a zpu'll-zoii cable mounted on the other insulator on each support, pullod means extending between the pul hofi cable and the messenger cable to pull the messenger cable zi-nto curved alinement with a track below, a. trolley wire and hangers to suspend the trolley wire from the messenger cable, the length ot'tthe hangers being such as to give the trolley wire the desired position and curvature with respect to the track below.

5. In an overhead system, the combinae tion of spaced supports a pair of in'sullators mounted upon each support in spaced relation, a messenger cable mounted on one of the insulatorson each support, a trolley wire, hangers of predetermined length supporting the trolley wire from the messenger cable, a pull-ofii' cable mounted on the other insulator on each'support and pu'll otif means positioned between the pull-oil? cable and the messenger cable to pull the messenger cable and the trolley Wire into curvedzaliine- 'ment with a track below.

"6. In an overhead system, the combination of spaced supports, a, pair-of insulators mounted upon each support, in spaced relation, a messenger cable mounted on one of the insulators on each support, a trolley wire, hangers of predetermined length supporting the wire from the cable, a pulhcfi' cable mounted on the other insulator on each support, pull-oh means positioned between the pull-elf cable and the messenger cable pull the messenger cable ,and' the trolley wire into curved alinement with a track below and meansrto adjustthe pull-oil cable and the pull-oil means relative to the messenger cable to adjust the alinement of the messenger cable and the trolley wire.

7. In an overhead system, the combination of spaced supports, a pair of insulators mounted upon each support in spaced relation, a messenger cable mounted on one of the insulators on each support, a pull-0E cable mounted on the other insulator on each support, pull-ofi' means extending between the pull-oil cable and the messenger cable to pull the messenger cable into curved alinement with a track below, a trolley wire, hangers to suspend the trolley wire from the messenger cable, the length of the hangers being such as to give the trolley wire the desired position and curvature with respect to the track below, means to adjust the pulloli cable and pull-olfmeans relative to the trolley wire to adjust the alinement of the trolley wire.

8. In an overhead system, the combina- 'tion of spaced supports, a pair 01 insulators mounted upon each support in spaced relation, a messenger cable mounted upon one of the insulators on each support, a pull-oil cable mounted on the other insulator on each support, a pull-oft means positioned between the pull-oil cable and the messenger cable to pull the messenger cable into a predetermined curved position, a trolley wire and a plurality of hangers suspending the trolley wire from the messenger cable and oil' such length that the trolley wire will assume a curve approximating that of the track below.

9. In an overhead system, the combination of spaced supports, a messenger cable and pull-0lI cable mounted upon separate insulators and which are mounted on each support, a trolley wire, a plurality of hangers of predetermined length suspending the trolley wire from the messenger cable and pull-oil means connected to the pull-oil cable and adapted to pull the messenger cable and trolley wire into a predetermined alinement.

10. In an overhead system, the combination of spaced vertical supports, a horizontal support secured to each vertical support, a messenger cable and a pull-off cable mounted upon spaced insulators upon the horizontal supports, a trolley wire, a plurality of hangers supporting the trolley wire from the messenger cable, and pull-oll' means extending between the pull-oil cable and the messenger cable and trolley wire to aline the messenger cable and trolley wire relative to the track below.

11. In an overhead system, the combination of spaced supports, a pair of spaced insulators mounted on each support, a messenger cable and a pull-off cable mounted on the insulators, pull-off means extending between the pull-oil cable and the messenger cable to pull the messenger cable into a predetermined lposition between the supports, hangers supporting the trolley wire from the messenger cable below and to one side of the messenger cable, the hangers having means to engage the messenger cable and the trolley wire and a bent rod connecting the said engaging means.

12. In an overhead system, the combination of a messenger cable, having a predetermined curvature, a trolley wire having a predetermined curvature, suspended below and to one side of the messenger cable by hangers, independent means to maintain curvature of the messenger cable and ol' the trolley wire and means to support the above elements.

13. In an overhead system, the combination of a messenger cable, a trolley wire, hangers to suspend the trolley wire from the messenger cable, the hangers comprising means to attach the hanger to the messenger cable, means to attach the hanger to the trolley wire, means connecting the said means and independent means to position and maintain the messenger cable and trolley wire relative to a track below.

14. In an overhead system, the combination of a messenger cable, a trolley Wire, hangers to suspend the trolley wire from the messenger cable, the hangers comprising means to attach the hanger to the messenger cable, means to attach the hanger to the trolley wire, adjustable means connecting the said means and separate means to position and maintain the messenger cable and trolley wire relative to a track below.

15. In an overhead system, the combination or a messenger cable, a trolley wire, hangers to suspend the trolley wire from the messenger cable, the hangers comprising a messenger cable clamp, a trolley wire clamp and means connecting the said clamp with the trolley wire clamp below and to one side of the messenger clamp when the trolley wire clamp is substantially vertical and separate means to support and maintain the messenger cable and trolley wire relative to a track below.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

LELAND IV. BIRCH. 

